


Here and There, Now and Then

by QueenSabriel



Category: Old Kingdom - Garth Nix
Genre: Abhorsen Prompt Week #2, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-17
Updated: 2014-12-17
Packaged: 2018-03-01 23:36:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2791832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenSabriel/pseuds/QueenSabriel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>‘I have not been an ideal parent, I know...none of us ever are. When we become the Abhorsen, we lose much else.’ A brief glimpse into the Abhorsen’s relationship with her son, brought to light in the wake of the Destroyer’s fall.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Here and There, Now and Then

For once Sabriel and Touchstone were among the least injured. They sat in the waiting room of the Bane hospital, after being given a cursory once over by the doctors, with Ellimere and the twins. Sabriel did not know how late it was - even as she sat with her eyes open  and the others talking around her, she felt mostly in a daze.

A nurse in a pristine white uniform appeared in the doorway. She caught Sabriel’s eye and inclined her head. “Forgive the interruption, highness, it’s...it’s your son.”

“Sam?!” Sabriel was awake now, panic and alarm coursing through her. “What’s the matter? Is something wrong?”

“Oh, no no!” The nurse instantly looked abashed, “No, nothing like that.” She smiled then, a warm, understanding smile. “He just wants his mum, is all. Room four.”

Putting a hand to her chest, Sabriel nodded. After the nurse had left, she shot Touchstone a questioning look. Her husband raised his eyebrows. “He asked for you, you’d better go.”

***

Sam was sitting up in bed when Sabriel entered. He had an IV in his arm, but other than that looked more exhausted than injured. When Sabriel walked over to sit on the edge of the bed, however, Sam looked close to tears. Letting out a soft, sympathetic sound, Sabriel reached over to comb back his unruly curls, then cup her hand to his cheek.

“Sam I am so sorry,” she whispered.

“No, Mum,” Sam’s voice shook. He lifted his hand to grasp her’s, blinking furiously. “I’m just...I’m r-really glad you’re alright.”

Sabriel scooted over then so she was next to him and could more easily put her arms around her son. Resting her cheek against his hair she let her mind wander back to those first few moments of painful consciousness while lying on the street in Corvere, and how all she had been able to think of was Sameth and Ellimere and never getting to see them again.

Still, that was probably the last thing Sam needed to hear at the moment. “I’m alright,” she murmured, patting his back. “And your father’s alright too - it would take a lot more than that to finish us off.”

“Good.” Sam said wetly. He sat back then, wiping his eyes, and let out a bitter laugh. “Second time I’ve woken up in the hospital in the past year...but...you’re here this time.”

“I should have been there last time,” Sabriel said, using her thumb to brush the tears from Sam’s cheeks. He had been such a round-faced child, but the past few years had seen all of him growing into what was clearly his father’s muscular build. But especially now, the way he was looking at her, it was easy to see that a little of the child remained still.

***

_Years Ago..._

Though it was well past midnight, Sabriel had been home for barely an hour, and in bed for even less. She’d barely taken the time to change into pajamas before flopping face first down beside Touchstone, wrapping her arms around her pillow, and falling into an exhausted sleep.

Touchstone had woken briefly when she got into bed, and he woke when the door to their room opened again, this time to let a much smaller figure in. Sighing, Touchstone sat up and whispered, “Sam, what is it?”

“I threw up,” Sam said, sniffling and wiping his eyes on his sleeve. “I want Mumma.”

“Your mother needs to sleep, Sam,” Touchstone said with a heavy sigh. He cast a look at Sabriel, still with her face buried in the pillow, then got up and went to his son, trying to coax the little boy into letting him pick him up. “Come on, lets get you cleaned up...”

“No I want Mumma!” Sam began to cry, first trying to push his father away, then reaching towards the bed. “I want Mumma!”

Sabriel woke then with a disgruntled groan, propping herself up on one elbow to look over at them. “Sameth, sweetheart please I’m exhausted...just go with Daddy alright?”

Sam began to positively wail then, going completely limp when Touchstone did manage to pick him up. Sabriel watched them leave before she lay back down, but even after Sam’s crying had stopped, she realized that she felt too awful to sleep.

***

The cricket pitch was bathed in bright afternoon sunlight when their team won their first game against Atherton - a boy’s school just south of Corvere that boasted perhaps the best team in the country. But Sam and the other Somersby boys had decimated them in this last match, and as he shouted in celebration with the others, jumping on Nick’s back at one point, Sam didn’t think he could feel any happier.

And afterwards, coming out of the locker rooms everyone was ready to go thoroughly celebrate their victory. Out of habit, Sam scanned the crowd as his teammates waved to parents and family. Sometimes Touchstone would make it to Sam’s games, if he was in the area at the time, but Sam worked hard not to expect that.

So when he spotted his father, Sam grinned broadly and waved. Then he froze, because he also caught sight of who was next to his father.

“Guys...” he said, making a motion at his friends who were urging him to come along. “You...you go on. I’ll catch up later.”

“What?!” Druitt sounded exasperated. “This is your bloody victory more than anyone else's, Abhorsen, what’re you doing?”

Sam turned to look at them with a rather goofy grin on his face. “My mum’s here. I gotta go say hi.” And with that he turned and bounded off through the crowd, leaving Nick to explain that it really was a special occurrence that the queen of the Old Kingdom (he put careful emphasis on that) had managed to make an appearance.

The grin on Sam’s face didn’t fade for a second as he pushed his way to where his parents stood with Damed. His mother hadn’t even noticed him yet when he jumped and threw his arms around her. “Mum!”

“Sam!” Sabriel laughed, hugging him tightly. “Oh, love, you played brilliantly...”

Sam stepped back, practically bouncing with adrenaline. “We’ve never beaten them before, no one has! And we just clobbered them - “ he pounded a closed fist into his palm for emphasis - “People will be talking about this for years!”

“We’re very proud of you, Sam,” Touchstone said, grinning at their son’s enthusiasm.

“Thanks.” Sam’s cheeks were starting to hurt, so he let his expression relax a little as he took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair, gaze moving to Sabriel again. “You made it. You never come to my games.”

Sabriel nodded, reaching for his hand and giving it a squeeze. “Well I thought it was about time I did.”

Sam smiled, stepping closer and leaning against her, wrapping his arm around her waist. “Can we all do dinner or something?”

“Don’t you want to celebrate with your friends?” Touchstone asked, glancing over to where the rest of the team was still whooping and cheering.

“Nah,” Sam said, still leaning against his mother. “I see them literally all the time. Mum’s never here.”

He missed the look that passed between his parents, the brief sadness on Sabriel’s face, the reassuring look Touchstone gave in return. Then Sabriel smiled, pressing a kiss to Sam’s temple and putting her arm around his shoulders. “I would love to have dinner.”

***

_Present_

Sam looked at his mother for a moment, not saying anything. She looked exhausted, even more exhausted than when he had last seen her in the reservoir beneath the palace. A bruise was yellowing on her cheekbone, and there was a small cut across her lip. Still, she was there, she was very much there and alive.

“So...” he said carefully. “Once she’s recovered...Lirael’s the Abhorsen-in-Waiting isn’t she?”

Sabriel nodded. “She is. Charter...I have a sister. That’s so strange.”

“Trust me,” Sam said with a tiny grin. “Sisters really aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.”

His mother rolled her eyes and gave his arm a playful little tap. “Sam.” Then she nodded. “Yes, it does seem that she’ll be my successor now. Why?”

“Well...does that mean you’ll be around more?”

The look of momentary surprise on Sabriel’s face told Sam that the thought hadn’t yet crossed her mind. Her eyes widened a little, and the faintest smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “Yes,” she said finally. “Yes I suppose it does.”

Sam smiled then, stifling a yawn, then curled against his mother in a way that he hoped indicated he wasn’t ready for her to leave yet. Sabriel in turn settled more comfortably against the pillows, running her fingers through his hair. Minutes passed, and though she assumed he had fallen asleep, Sabriel murmured, “I’m so proud of you, Sam.”

Sam didn’t open his eyes, but in the soft dimness of the room, he smiled, and hugged her a little closer.


End file.
